Mooresville, N.C. (11-06-2010) – When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Texas, there’s one thing the competitors count on: chasing Todd Bodine around the race track. Friday night’s race was no exception. Bodine put the Valvoline Tundra out front for 23 of 147 laps and earned his 16th top-five finish of the season when he crossed the start/finish line in fourth-place.
“Our Valvoline Tundra was awesome. The Germain Racing pit crew was awesome. We pitted for four tires and came out in front for the final restart of the race. I chose the outside line for the restart. I figured momentum would carry the Valvoline Tundra to the lead. Instead, I went down into the first turn and even getting up to speed the truck just bottomed out and pushed,” explained Bodine of how the final restart of the race was a preview to the finish results of the 23rd race of the 2010 Truck Series season.
Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. added some perspective and explained the fourth-place result for the Valvoline Tundra was a fine end to another outstanding trip to Texas Motor Speedway for the No. 30 team of Germain Racing.
“Todd Bodine said it best in his post-race interview with SPEED. Germain Racing did a great job again. Texas is our track. We came here with the Valvoline Tundra and did what we expected to do. We led laps, had a great Toyota Tundra, worked well as a team and we got another top-five finish. It was a good points night and it gives us something to build on heading into Phoenix and Homestead,” said Hillman, who was very proud of performance of the Valvoline Tundra.
Bodine explained to SPEED’s pit road reporter after the Winstar World Casino 350K that the consistency in his results this season is due to the hard work and never give up attitude of the No. 30 Germain Racing team. That consistency has allowed Bodine to score the best statistics of his Truck Series career – 16 top-fives and 19 top-10’s in 23 events to-date.
“I think the consistency just shows how good our guys are and how good (Mike Hillman) Jr. (crew chief) and the team have been getting the truck setup. I’ve said quite a few times, the first five races we struggled with making the trucks drive good and then went to work and figured it out and since then these Tundra trucks have been driving great. That’s what allows us to keep that consistency. It just shows how good the 30 team really is,” explained Bodine.
Todd Bodine has led the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings since the conclusion of race no. 7, in May, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has a 230-point margin over second-place and looks to lock in his second series title in the final two weeks.
Next up for Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra is Phoenix International Raceway. Watch qualifying and racing on SPEED at 4:30 and 7:30 PM Eastern on Friday, November 12th, or tune into the race on your local MRN affiliate.
Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.
When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAX PAPIS NETS TOP 25 DESPITE FUEL ISSUE
Fort Worth, TX (November 5, 2010) – A week removed from having his day ended prematurely on the count of a negligent move by a fellow driver, ‘Mad’ Max Papis arrived in the Lone Star state looking to rebound. A week ago in Talladega, Papis piloted the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra solidly at the front of the field and aimed to achieve the same at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.
Papis and the GEICO team quickly took to the 1.5-mile quad-oval and appeared comfortable through the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ two practice sessions on Thursday. The opening session saw the #9 GEICO Tundra 14th on the speed charts, while the final practice session saw Papis as a respectable 19th.
With practice in the books and only qualifying remaining, Papis solidified his position in the field when he qualified the #9 GEICO Tundra 23rd for Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350K NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. He toured the facility in just 30.608 seconds, at a rate of speed of 176.424 miles per hour.
While his teammate, Todd Bodine, is on the verge of winning his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, Papis has his mind set on 2011. His final races of the 2010 season are preparing him for his own run at the Truck Series championship in 2011.
Cool temperatures and the smell of thousands of campfires blanketed the racetrack on Friday night, as the green flag waved under clear skies. Starting 23rd, Papis quickly jumped to 20th on the opening lap before a Johanna Long spin brought out the event’s first caution flag of the night. Just one lap into the race, there was no reason for Papis to bring the #9 GEICO Tundra down pit road.
Papis would restart 19th on Lap 5 and ride solidly in the Top 20 before the evening’s second caution flag was displayed on Lap 41. Just one lap later, Papis traveled down pit road where the Germain Racing pit crew outfitted the #9 GEICO Tundra with four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel and a right rear air pressure adjustment. While Papis entered pit road in the 20th position, the Germain Racing pit crew turned him around in astounding time, sending Mad Max back out onto the racing surface in the 14th position.
The race would once again go green on Lap 49, but just three laps later the caution lights were flashing at Texas Motor Speedway for a crash involving Ron Hornaday, Tayler Malsam and Miguel Paludo. After just three laps of racing, it was not necessary for the #9 GEICO Tundra to visit pit road.
Papis restarted the race in the 14th position on Lap 60 and by Lap 97 the Gecko was sitting 12th. The #9 GEICO Tundra entered the Top 10 on Lap 98, but the following lap would cause Papis’ demise.
As he exited Turn 4, Papis’ truck appeared to run out of fuel. By the time he entered the front-stretch it was a certainty. Papis managed to coast around the 1.5-mile quad-oval and make it to pit road where the GEICO Racing pit crew would provide him with the necessary fuel. Unfortunately, the GEICO Tundra had stalled and because there was no fuel pressure it would take time to build up the pressure. Once Papis had the truck re-fired, he returned to the race, but he would do so five laps down in the 26th position; a far cry from where he was running in 10th just a few minutes earlier.
Despite the setback, Papis continued to pick up positions and when the checkered flag was displayed, he recorded a 23rd place finish. The final result was clearly not indicative of his performance throughout the evening.
“We had a nice run going tonight in the #9 GEICO Tundra, but the fuel problem really ended it for us,” said a dejected Papis. “I battled a tight truck all night, but we kept fighting and this GEICO pit crew did a great job of getting me in and out. We’re building for next year, we have a new crew chief and right now everything is looking great. The things that happened in Talladega last week and then what happened tonight is just misfortune, not mistakes. We’re doing a good job and you will continue to see us be competitive and run up front.”
Papis and the GEICO team will take a week off before traveling to south Florida for the final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the 2010 season.
Papis and the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra will hit the 1.5-mile oval of Homestead-Miami Speedway for the opening practice session at 5:00 PM (EDT) on Thursday, November 18th. Qualifying will take place on Friday at 5:05 PM (EDT).
The Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is on Friday, November 19th. The race will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 7:30 PM (EDT), while the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com
You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing
